Jump to recipe... This year in our greenhouse, we had quite a successful run with our chili plants. Alongside our cherry tomatoes, they've been absolutely thriving in the extra-warm greenhouse environment.
We've also got an old apple tree in our fields. It's our third summer here, and the apples from the past two years were on the small and very tart side.
But this year, things changed dramatically. The apples turned out huge and, while they're still a bit on the tangy side, they're perfect for cooking. They're kind of like a mix between classic Bramley cooking apples and the crispness of Granny Smith eating apples.
Both Kell and I are big fans of chilli jam, so I decided to experiment by making it with our apples and chillies. The results? Simply fantastic.
You can tell just how much we love it by the number of jars I've ended up making!
I shared this on Instagram, and a lot of people asked for the recipe. So, here it is:
Ingredients
600 grams of Granny Smith apples, cut into quarters
700 grams of water
300 grams of apple cider vinegar
6 red chillies, with their stems removed and roughly chopped
3 Bishop's Crown chillies, deseeded and without stems
500 grams of sugar
Quick note: If you don't have a Thermomix, you can use a regular saucepan. Just be sure to stir it often. And when it comes to the chillies, use as many or as few as you like, depending on your heat tolerance!
How to Make It:
Put the quartered apples, water, vinegar and five of the red chillies, into a mixing bowl. Let it cook for 45 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.
After that, strain the mixture through a muslin cloth into a big jug, keeping only the liquid.
Finely chop the remaining chilli and add it, along with the sugar and the reserved liquid, to a heavy-based saucepan.
Cook it all for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until it sets. The cooking time might vary depending on how juicy your apples are. *
Once it's set, pour the jelly into sterilized jars, let them cool, label them, and you're ready to savour the deliciousness.
*To check if your jelly has set, put a saucer in the freezer. Place a small spoonful of jelly on the cold saucer and wait for a minute. If it wrinkles up and stays separated, it's ready. If not, boil it for another 5 minutes and test again.
This homemade chilli and apple jam is a fusion of our garden's finest, offering a delightful taste experience that's as easygoing and enjoyable as our time in the greenhouse. Bon appétit! 🌶️🍏